Chapter 28
Since I knew the original story, I thought saving Noah wouldn’t be all that difficult, and I let my guard down…
‘Was I wrong about that…?’
I couldn’t understand why characters I’d never seen before and events I didn’t know about kept popping up.
‘Aria only approached Duke Raymond after the hunting festival in the original.’
As Jonathan carried me, I recalled the original plot once again.
That Duke Raymond wasn’t a good man was something even a passing cat would know.
That’s why, at first, Shion had no intention of bringing Duke Raymond over to his side.
On top of that, Shion had already been betrayed by the duke once before.
<“We can pay him back slowly. And good? What does that even do for us? Isn’t it good when you become emperor and save the suffering people? That’s the good we’re after.”>
Even so, in the end Shion joined hands with Duke Raymond—all because Aria willed it.
Until she put Shion on the throne, Aria didn’t distinguish her actions as good or evil.
It wasn’t that she deliberately committed evil deeds, but rather that she would use anything, whatever it was, if it could be useful.
Her resentment ran that deep after losing her country and not even knowing whether her parents were alive or dead.
‘It could be something the original just didn’t mention.’
Reconstructing the entire setting and main storyline from beginning to end, I came to one possibility.
Things that happened behind the scenes, not written in the novel. There could very well be characters I didn’t know of in that space.
Unlike biographies, novels don’t record every single event. They only describe what’s necessary for the plot or important to the protagonists.
‘That does make sense.’
In the original, when Shion appeared, some nobles immediately sided with him, as if they’d been waiting all along.
They hadn’t just popped out of nowhere—it was probably groundwork that the novel didn’t bother to show.
So if I think of Count Caliphon as a noble who, upon hearing rumors that Shion was alive, wanted to secure a position by siding with him in advance… yes, that made sense.
‘But it’s not even certain he has ties to Aria, is it?’
There wasn’t really anyone in the original who could be called Aria’s helper.
So thinking of it this way was clearly rational—but something still gnawed at me.
Judging from the conversation earlier… the nuance had been like that. As if they were already on Shion’s side and were giving Duke Raymond a chance to join them.
‘Anyway, he’s definitely a suspicious man.’
There were parts that kept bothering me, so I couldn’t just dismiss this as background detail the novel didn’t cover.
First of all, Count Caliphon didn’t seem to be a noble of the Caline Empire.
If he were, Duke Raymond wouldn’t have talked about “selling” the oranges he had “brought over” to the “Empire.”
Thinking about it like that, it made sense why Duke Raymond had been conversing with him as equals. Since he was a noble from another country, the measure of bloodline didn’t apply.
‘For now, that’s enough.’
It was unsettling not knowing where Count Caliphon had come from or what role he might play in the future, but this wasn’t the time to focus on his identity.
‘Start with what you do know….’
As of now, Duke Raymond still sided with Noah.
And it was clear he hadn’t given up on making his daughter empress.
There was no way such an ambitious man had brought up marriage out of genuine concern for Noah’s succession. He must have created the pretext to tie Noah to his daughter.
‘So should I somehow marry Noah off to Duke Raymond’s daughter…?’
I didn’t like the idea—it felt too much like playing into the duke’s hands. And poor Noah, having such a father-in-law!
‘Ugh… Noah deserves to be happy.’
The thought of sending Noah to another woman brought tears to my eyes, but there was no helping it.
Just relying on Noah earning points with his servants and then with the empire’s citizens might not be enough.
If powerful nobles decided to side with Shion and drag Noah down, how far could public opinion alone shield him…?
‘Worst case, there’s always divorce….’
Other matters could be left until after the danger of the protagonists stealing the throne was gone.
‘But what if Duke Raymond’s daughter is even worse than her father?’
If she turned out to be greedier than him, that would be an even bigger problem.
After discovering the embezzlement, Noah had no choice but to spend his days endlessly busy.
“There are suggestions to avoid the 24th this month. People say it’s the Moon’s Day, when the dead may turn into ghosts, and they’re frightened.”
He had to listen to such superstitious talk about the execution date, decide which square would be best for the gallows.
“Since a large crowd will gather, some say the Teron Square, being the largest, is best.”
“But Teron Square is the central hub with the heaviest traffic. If people can’t pass through in their carriages because of the execution crowd, won’t that cause trouble?”
He also had to consider the convenience of commoners and merchants who might be anticipating the rare spectacle.
“As for the exiled wives, I thought Vamo Island would be appropriate. But some nobles suggest Mada Island. Yet Mada Island is crawling with murderers, and these women merely joined in the embezzlement. I cannot fathom their reasoning.”
He had to weigh noble opinions on where the women sentenced to hard labor should be sent. On top of that, he had to fill the vacant posts—Noah could hardly leave his desk.
He could have left much of this to Jonathan, but the reason he involved himself so deeply was…
Because in this case, he had to handle everything flawlessly, without leaving the slightest opening for criticism.
Among the nobles, there was already dissatisfaction: why was Noah making unilateral decisions before the judges even investigated or ruled?
To silence them, he needed to leave not even a crack for anyone to object.
This was while resentment was at its peak from the tax reform that everyone had opposed.
He had no desire to be “kind” to them, but he couldn’t keep clashing with them either, or nothing would get done.
Nor did he want to brandish imperial decrees left and right, where disobedience meant death.
Causing people’s deaths was still unbearable to him.
“Your Majesty… you look pale. Perhaps you should rest a little.”
With so much to handle perfectly, the number of matters to review was endless. Not to mention the constant stream of petitions that didn’t stop even after issuing imperial decrees.
Since no one could directly complain about the tax reform in an imperial decree, they phrased it differently—but the meaning was the same:
With reduced finances and military burdens added, managing their domains would become difficult.
He had thought the game was over, but now he had to prepare for extra innings.
“At least have some tea… ah, it’s already gone cold. I’ll order a fresh one.”
At Jonathan’s words, Noah finally took a breather and stroked Rose, who was chewing on a dried fish on his lap.
He hadn’t seen Rose in days and had felt uneasy, but Jonathan had suddenly walked in carrying her.
―For some reason, Count Caliphon had entered the palace. He was holding her. He must have thought she was a stray.
Jonathan said he found her while walking through the gardens.
The moment Rose saw Noah, her eyes lit up, and she leapt from Jonathan’s arms straight into his.
She hopped onto the desk, then down onto his lap, rubbing her face against him over and over.
Just that alone made the accumulated fatigue melt away.
“At times like this, you really are just a cat.”
Muttering the obvious, Noah looked at Rose, then raised his eyes to Jonathan and ordered:
“Bring me the calendar.”
“The calendar, sire?”
Whatever decision he made, he couldn’t shut every noble’s mouth.
If Duke Raymond, who’d been seen with Count Caliphon, ever thought of holding Rose hostage to overturn the tax reform…
That would be more than a few complaints—it would be catastrophic. What mattered most was never leaving Rose vulnerable.
“We’ll avoid weekdays. Cross out any days with significance. If we avoid the holy days for worship, what’s left?”
“The 27th, sire.”
Reflecting on everything he’d considered so far, Noah made his decision swiftly, in the way he thought best.
“Then set the execution for that day. The gallows will be built at Millen Square.”
If he wrapped this up and ignored the petitions as needed, he could return to a peaceful routine with Rose.
He’d even made elaborate plans—visiting the bedchamber often and taking her for walks in the garden so she wouldn’t get bored…
“Your Majesty, we’ve searched the entire garden, but Lady Rose is nowhere to be seen.”
But before that could happen, Rose vanished once more.
